Conscientiousness Predicts Job Performance

Mar 13, 2014

In the workplace, it is often useful to describe where individuals stand on five core personality traits: agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, extraversion, and openness to experience. These traits are most commonly referred to as the “Big 5.” Each of the Big 5 traits provide useful clues about employee behavior, the “nail biter” is likely low on emotional stability, the “people pleaser” is probably high on agreeableness, and the sales guy with the “big personality” is probably high on extraversion. In addition to helping depict office interactions, the Big 5 personality traits are useful predictors of performance.

When tested, conscientiousness consistently stands out as a top predictor of job performance. Highly conscientious individuals tend to keep their workspaces neat and organized, operate off of regimented to-do lists, complete assignments ahead of schedule, and execute work with a high amount of accuracy and efficiency. Conscientious individuals are successful because they foresee and address problems before they become problems. It is no surprise that those that score highly on this trait typically earned higher grades in high school and college, outperform their peers at work, and are expected to outlive the average life expectancy. If you are interested in adding conscientiousness to you selection decision making process, view our Products page to learn more.